


Pleasant Surprises

by MysteryFicAnon



Series: Happy Holidays 2019 [4]
Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Swapfell (Undertale), Animal cruelty vaguely implied, Dog - Freeform, Gen, Kindhearted Papyrus, Mostly just abandonment, Suspicious Sans, Swapfell Papyrus (Undertale), Swapfell Sans (Undertale), THIS IS THE SWAPFELL BROS, please keep this in mind, puppy, puppy adoption
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-31
Updated: 2019-12-31
Packaged: 2021-02-27 13:33:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,109
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22057831
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MysteryFicAnon/pseuds/MysteryFicAnon
Summary: A Christmas puppy adoption story based on a lovely prompt sent in by Damnedxfate. This is just some brotherly fluff. Enjoy!
Series: Happy Holidays 2019 [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1584091
Comments: 6
Kudos: 27





	Pleasant Surprises

**Author's Note:**

  * For [damnedxfate](https://archiveofourown.org/users/damnedxfate/gifts).



> My last story of 2019! I wanted to dedicate this story to an amazing friend who's been so kind to me: the wonderful damnedxfate. I hope you have a good year in 2020, and that we continue being good friends!
> 
> This was beta read by another awesome friend, big shoutout to @silverryu25! Thank you for helping me get these out on time, I really appreciate it.

Something was wrong with Papyrus. Sans might not have his brother's uncanny observation skills, but he could tell when things were off. He didn't know what Papyrus was doing, but he knew that his brother felt the need to keep it a secret from him.

This wasn't the usual Gyftmas mystery, where Papyrus playfully tried to hide what he’d bought from Sans. Papyrus looked tired and stressed, and the other night Sans had seen a  _ bite mark _ on his hand. It seemed like a dog bite, but if one of the dog squad had bitten Papyrus then it would have been far deeper than that.

Sans knew that he could be harsh with Papyrus sometimes, but since they’d come to the surface, things had gotten better between them. Sans didn't protest when his brother went out to bars, only asked where he would be in case he needed Sans to come pick him up. Papyrus had even begun to become affectionate again behind closed doors, with flashes of the sweet little monster he’d been when he was younger shining through.

Tonight, Sans was going to find out what in the hell was going on. Sans would die for his brother, and he would find and destroy whatever had dared to hurt Papyrus. Of course, if he confronted his brother directly, then Papyrus would deny everything and shut down even more. So Sans did the next best thing: he set up a trap.

He’d even asked Alphys for help, setting up a script and rehearsing beforehand. He had cooked supper for Papyrus, and the two had settled in for a casual dinner. Right on schedule, Alphys had called him part of the way through. She’d aggressively told him to come in and help her handle a case, or his ass was toast. She couldn't exactly fire him, but the spirit was the same: he needed to come and help her, or his life would get difficult for awhile.

Sans had apologized to Papyrus, but his brother had smiled and waved him off. He understood. If Sans wasn’t so determined he might have felt a little bad for deceiving his brother, but that didn't matter now. He had to protect his family.

Sans went out the door, slamming it and walking loudly over to their garage. He fired up his bike and peeled out of their driveway, barely glancing back at the house. Papyrus stood in the window, watching him leave. He really was too good for this world.

He parked his motorcycle in a small lot nearby, pulling his helmet off and tucking it back into his inventory. He quickly made his way back to the house, ducking through hedges and sticking to the shadows. This neighbourhood was mostly occupied by monsters, and it wasn’t unusual to see a royal guard passing through your yard on a training exercise.

By the time he was back at their house Sans was breathing a little heavily, but it seemed like he was right on time. The back window was illuminated, and Sans could see Papyrus washing the dishes from their meal. Sans extinguished his eyelights and hid in a bush, waiting patiently.

Soon enough, Papyrus stepped outside. He glanced around furtively, but he didn't notice Sans. Perhaps Sans would have to run a few survival exercises again, to make sure Papyrus’ observational skills were still up to snuff. He didn't want to make his brother anxious, but he couldn't risk Papyrus getting hurt and being alone and vulnerable.

Instead of shortcutting away, Papyrus actually began walking into the woods behind their house. Sans followed him from a good distance, ducking behind trees and under logs whenever it seemed like Papyrus was about to turn around. Papyrus seemed more paranoid than usual, looking around him in all directions.

There was no sign that anyone else had been in these woods, so why was Papyrus so jumpy? Sans was burning with curiosity; if he’d had any doubts about following his brother before, those were all gone now. Whatever was making Papyrus so anxious had to go, and there would be no ifs, ands, or buts about it.

Papyrus sped up a little as he neared the edge of their property, making a beeline straight for a tiny shed. He fumbled with the keys, giving Sans the opportunity to creep even closer. He couldn't see inside the shed yet, but he could observe a mysterious package tucked under Papyrus’ arm. It was entirely wrapped in brown paper, and it crinkled a bit as Papyrus moved. What in the hell could it be? Oh stars, was Papyrus doing  _ hard drugs _ ?

While Sans was busy worrying, Papyrus managed to undo the lock and open up the door. The rusty hinges squealed in the night, and Sans and Papyrus both winced at the sound. Someone would need to oil those things.

A sharp yapping sound split the air, making Papyrus flinch back. He fumbled, nearly dropping his package. Sans grit his teeth, his magic prickling defensively. No one had the right to make his brother feel like that, especially not some nefarious little bitch—

“Hey, relax. It’s just me, I’m here.” Papyrus said, holding up his hands. He slowly stepped closer, getting down so he was on his knees. He leaned forward, going out of Sans’ sight.

Sans couldn’t wait any more. He leapt out of the bush he’d been hiding in, crossing the distance between them in an instant. He skidded to a stop behind Papyrus, frantically looking into the shed to see the threat.

“Stop!” Sans snarled, a blaster hovering over his shoulder. The blaster hummed, its jaws already open as power gathered there.

“Wait!” Papyrus whirled around, leaning back and putting his hands up. He seemed to be alone in the shed, his eyesockets wide in shock as he stared up at Sans. “Sans, it’s okay. Put the blaster down.” He sounded like he was talking to a small child having a tantrum, urging them to just calm down a little and be reasonable. Sans was being perfectly rational, he was going to eliminate a threat to his family. There was nothing more reasonable.

“Then what the hell was that—” Sans was cut off by a high-pitched yip.

As he stared in shock, a scraggly puppy skittered out from behind Papyrus. The little thing barked again, baring tiny teeth to growl at Sans. Sans just stared in shock, genuinely caught off guard for once. The dog’s fur was matted and dirty, but it was clearly still very young; perhaps just past the age when pups stopped weaning. Wasn’t that a good question: where was this little one’s mother? Sans glanced at the dog’s neck, but he couldn't see any collar or tag. How strange.

“I found her in a cardboard box by the side of the road.” Papyrus blurted the words out like they would burn him, still looking carefully at Sans. “I knew you were at a security meeting, so I took her to the vet. She was scared and she bit me once, but she hasn't done it since. She’s a good girl.”

“Why wouldn't you tell me?” Sans asked, his voice absent of any real hostility.

He crouched down, tentatively extending one gloved hand towards the dog. She seemed wary of him, always a good quality to have, and Sans couldn't help smiling a bit. He had patience; he would stay here all night if he had to.

“I—I wanted it to be a surprise on Gyftmas.”

“I thought you weren't a fan of dogs.” Sans tried not to move when the puppy slowly shuffled towards him, her little nose twitching as she leaned towards his gloves. He was an adult with full control of himself. He would not squeal about how cute she was and immediately try to pick her up, no matter how tempting it was.

Papyrus scratched his skull, sheepishly looking away. “Yeah, but you are.”

Sans blinked, looking up at Papyrus. His brother was blushing a little, flustered that he’d admitted to doing something nice. Sans was no fool; he knew that he used to treat any affection as a sign of weakness. It had been necessary to protect his brother, but it had damaged their relationship. They were both working on it, but things could still be a little awkward sometimes.

Papyrus’ sentiment was definitely… sweet, but it was a lot more feelings than Sans was used to. He was never the best with words, and he found them failing him again now. He would eventually find a way to make it up to Papyrus in his own way, he always did. He just needed to figure out what to do right now.

“Yes, I am. Er, how were you keeping her warm?” Sans knew it was a pathetic attempt to redirect the conversation, but it was all he had.

Thankfully, he was talking to his kind and understanding brother.

“Space heater.” Papyrus smiled wryly, shuffling to the side.

With him out of the way, Sans could now see a significantly remodelled shed. All of the tools had been put away, with a fancy dog bed and a small space heater taking up a good amount of the floor space. Sans could also see two bowls, one of which still had a few scraps of ham clinging to the edges of it. For a last-minute set up, it was quite good. There could be problems with confining her to such a small space for too long, but that would be fixed once she came back to the house with them.

“Also, I might have, uh… spent all my Gyftmas money on stuff for her. I’m sorry,” Papyrus mumbled, hanging his head a little.

“Why?” Sans tentatively rested his hand on the pup’s head, looking up at Papyrus in confusion. “She needed it more.”

Papyrus smiled at him, giving Sans another burst of  _ feelings _ . “Yeah, I figured you’d say that. You’re a good dude.”

Before Sans could argue his point, Papyrus reached into his inventory. He had to rummage around a bit before he finally pulled out a cheap, neon purple collar and leash. They were the ugliest things Sans had ever seen, and his eyes lit up at the sight of them.

Papyrus chuckled, holding them out. “Here, you can take her.”

Sans very carefully slipped the collar onto the puppy, shushing her when she whined and tried to wriggle out of the collar. “I know, it’s okay, we’ll get you a better one soon. Just bear this for now.”

He gently petted her, trying not to worry as he felt the mats all along her back. She didn't flinch away from his touch, so that was a good start. He would probably have to take her to a groomer, and to the vet again to make sure she had all her shots. Sans could see all of the money he’d been saving for Gyftmas quickly going down the drain on bills.

Apparently, Papyrus could too. He reached out, putting a hand on Sans’ shoulder. “Spend as much as you need. Let’s take her home, bro.”

Logically, Sans knew that any number of problems could arise from this set up. Papyrus wasn’t very fond of dogs, and having a pet was a lot of work. There could still be a rightful owner out there, and Sans wouldn't dream of depriving someone of their pet. At least for right now though, he could afford to indulge in this. He could enjoy the companionship of his brother and this sweet pup.

“Do you want to name her?” He asked, standing up and offering his hand to Papyrus.

Papyrus grinned, grabbing Sans’ hand and pulling himself up. In one fluid movement he shut the pull-string light in the shed and closed the door, snapping the lock back into place. He seemed like he was back to normal, and Sans’ soul gave a small sigh of relief. He honestly didn't know what he would do without his brother.

“I’ll have to think about it.” Papyrus squeezed Sans’ hand for a moment, then let go and put his hands back into his pockets. “Need to come up with something good.”

“You’d better not name her something stupid,” Sans warned, stepping forwards and trying to encourage the puppy to walk with him.

Her legs were very short and stubby, and she waddled along at an incredibly slow pace. That was fine; Sans could learn to tolerate this. He was patient.

“Wouldn’t dream of it, bro.” Papyrus fell into step beside him, and the trio began to slowly make their way back home.


End file.
